I recently attended a presentation on self-care that was short, simple, practical and very profound.

 

At the beginning we defined self and what actually constitutes self. What was offered was the fact that there are two parts that make up self. We have a being and a body and from the get-go when these two aspects of self are not in a harmonious relationship, we struggle to have self-care in our lives consistently.

 

The being (which we could call our personality, attitudes and/or behaviours) cares little for the body and, left to its own devices, treats the body with contempt and scant regard for the consequences of its choices. The body is our vehicle through which the being gets to express. It cops all the choices of the being, does its darnedest to cope and limit damage and is very keen to communicate things that do and do not support it. 

 

There is a little point of madness here that is important to flag up. The being is within a body that it treats as a slave. The body manages for as long as it can before showing signs of stress and/or illness. So where is the intelligence that treats its vehicle badly and then complains when the vehicle breaks down or struggles to perform at the level expected?

 

Anyway, the point raised in the presentation was that when we can bring the being into relationship with the body, and develop the potential of this symbiotic relationship, we can start to live with a level of self-care that is sustainable.

 

It starts with honesty.

 

Much as we say that we love our coffee, we know it is a prop-me-up to get through the day. When we stop drinking coffee, we often get quite marked withdrawal symptoms as our bodies’ de-tox. This in itself is indicative of a reliance on a substance that is not in harmony with our bodies. So the being can lie, for example, convincing us that coffee is good for us and/or required, but our bodies never lie and the more we realise that they are the key to truth, the more we might embrace the honesty in really feeling what it is they have to say.

 

Self-care is saying no to anything and everything that is not truly caring. And in so doing saying yes to the next step of learning about self-care.

 

We have the opportunity every day (every moment actually) to review everything we do, say and consume and, gently so, as we set out on this new adventure getting to know our bodies and their signposting, consider the choices we make and the impact they have on our lives.